Guwahati, July 7 (IANS) The BRICS nations on Tuesday adopted the Guwahati Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to strengthen cooperation in combating illicit drug trafficking and transnational organised crime, with a strong focus on real-time intelligence sharing, digital technologies and coordinated law enforcement, officials said.

According to an official statement, the declaration was adopted at the conclusion of the two-day BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies Meeting held in Guwahati under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026.

The member countries pledged to enhance the timely exchange of information, intelligence and best practices in accordance with national laws and international obligations while promoting the use of innovative technologies, digital tools and data-driven approaches to counter drug trafficking.

The declaration expressed concern over the growing menace of synthetic drugs and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), diversion of precursor chemicals, misuse of emerging technologies and virtual assets, and the exploitation of maritime routes and digital platforms by transnational criminal networks.

The BRICS nations also stressed the need for specialised initiatives to reduce drug demand, promote healthy lifestyles and protect vulnerable groups, particularly children and youth, through evidence-based and people-centric approaches.

Leading the Indian delegation, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Director General Anurag Garg called upon BRICS anti-drug agencies to build a partnership based on speed, mutual trust and seamless real-time intelligence sharing to dismantle transnational drug syndicates.

Highlighting India’s anti-narcotics strategy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Garg said the country has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drugs and launched a three-year roadmap (2026-2029) based on a network-centric approach aimed at dismantling criminal networks, preventing drug abuse through awareness campaigns and strengthening treatment, de-addiction and rehabilitation.

In his concluding remarks, Garg proposed the creation of a BRICS Virtual Working Group and enhanced cross-border training initiatives, saying anti-drug agencies must work together to break increasingly interconnected global trafficking networks.

Delegates from Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia and the United Arab Emirates also deliberated on challenges such as darknet-enabled trafficking, digital drug networks, precursor chemical diversion and strengthening global supply chains against chemical leakage.

India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026 is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

–IANS

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